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22 May 2012

Ed Young, Jr. – Helping God Avoid "Fashion Victim Status"

We've spoken here and here about Ed Young, Jr's website, PastorFashion.com. And while the comments have been in jest, the sad fact remains that this latest endeavor of Young's appears to be absolutely serious.

Some weren't so sure, and speculated that perhaps this was just another of Young's goofy stunts. Well, it is goofy, but it isn't a stunt. If it is, then it has become quite elaborate, with blog entries covering everything from Spanx for men to the right dress shirt collar to skinny jeans. Young even found himself making headlines at ABC News.

The prominent news network published an interview with Young, wherein he is quoted as saying:

"I think people that are followers of the word should be the most creative people on (sic) the world."
"We should be at the forefront of fashion," he continued. "I think we have the ultimate message and should dress up with the times." (Source)

The report continues:

The pastor says he has advised hundreds of people about the latest in fashion. And, people throughout the country ask the pastor if they can send text messages for help on what to buy such as coats, ties and suits. (Source)

One cannot help but wonder, amid all of these fashion questions, how many theological and spiritual questions does Ed Young receive? When a person thinks about Pastor Ed Young, Jr., what is the first thing that comes to mind: Brooks Brothers, or the Word of God?

The ABC News report continues:

Young's blog, which was launched earlier this year, advises pastors and members of the clergy on what to wear -- and what not to wear -- and offers fashion tips about the latest trends. The idea is to help keep God current by avoiding fashion-victim status.
And, while you can't judge a book by its cover, Young states, "You need to make the cover as good as possible so people will read the book." (Source)

Interestingly, the Bible expresses no concerns over the dreaded possibility that God might become less relevant due to the wardrobe of His pastors. Young's efforts to "keep God current," then, are completely unnecessary. God is not worried about becoming a "fashion victim." No, that seems to be a concern that lies solely within the mind of Ed Young, Jr.

Young further declared,

Being a follower of Christ should be cool because God is cool, God is hip. We should live that out. (Source)

It is difficult to believe that John the Baptist, with his wardrobe of camel's hair and diet of locusts and honey (Matt. 3:4) was seen by the people as the first century equivalent of "cool" and "hip." Yet people flocked to him. What was the attraction? Could it be that the Word of God, the Gospel of repentance and forgiveness of sins, is what attracted so many to this wilderness dwelling preacher?

John appeared, baptizing in the wilderness and proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. And all the country of Judea and all Jerusalem were going out to him and were being baptized by him in the river Jordan, confessing their sins. (Mark 1:4-5)

Young states that the pastor must "make the cover as good as possible so people will read the book." This statement is abominable. Is Ed Young, Jr. implying that his appearance and his wardrobe, will be the deciding factor in whether a person expresses interest in hearing the truths of God's Word? Does Ed Young, Jr. really think that a person's salvation may depend upon whether he wears a striped shirt or not?

It seems as though Young has forgotten that it is the job of the pastor to proclaim the Word of God and to teach sound doctrine (2 Tim. 4:2; Titus 2:1). If His truths are proclaimed, then God will have no difficulty demonstrating His authority. If the pastor gets out of the way and simply allows God's Word to speak, then the Holy Spirit will perform His work of drawing people to Himself without any fashion aid. That is what will get people to "read the book," not the color of Ed Young's tie.

Clothe yourselves, all of you, with humility toward one another, for “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.”(1 Peter 5:5b)

9 comments:

"Young even found himself making headlines at ABC News". Isn't that what he is all about anyway? "I think we have the ultimate message..." and what message would that be, Ed? Surely you do not refer to the glorious Gospel of the Lord Jesus, one would be hardpressed to find that in your "ministry". Question for you, Ed, does the final and eternal garment of the righteous saints meet with your approval or do you think that God needs to consult you to see if any changes would be necessary to "keep God current"?

Ed Young Jr is self-o-centric and not Christ-o-centric. He is immature and worldly. God could care less about our "fancy" clothing and Jesus said so in Matthew 6:25.

Where's his love for the Gospel of Jesus Christ? Where is his reverence and awe for God's Name? Genuine Pastors truly love the LORD

He's a living a joke. There are people dying and going to hell and the whole time Ed is concerned about clothing? That's about as loving as dressing up a man on death row with the finest accouterments of a King just before he's executed. There are people who are dressed in rags going to heaven while Ed Young Jr spouts of senseless superfluous nonsense.

and one more thing Ed is "helping" GOD? are you SERIOUS? That's like the patient with cancer dying saying I'm going to dress better to help my Doctor.What hubris...No God is self-sufficient and he needs NO ONE and NO HELP!

-Pro 12:10 "A righteous man cares for the needs of his animal, but the kindest acts of the wicked are cruel."

Amen anonymous.. You reminded me of another verse TY which says "Rather, clothe yourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ, and do not think about how to gratify the desires of the sinful nature."~Romans 13:14

"One of our most heinous and palpable sins is PRIDE. This is a sin that hath too much interest in the best of us, but which is more hateful and inexcusable in us than in other men. Yet is it so prevalent in some of us, that it inditeth our discourses, it chooseth our company, it formeth our countenances, it putteth the accent and emphasis upon our words. It fills some men’s minds with aspiring desires, and designs: it possesseth them with envious and bitter thoughts against those who stand in their light, or who by any means eclipse their glory, or hinder the progress of their reputation. Oh what a constant companion, what a tyrannical commander, what a sly and subtle insinuating enemy, is this sin of pride! It goes with men to the draper, the mercer, the tailor: ‘it chooseth them their cloth, their trimming, and their fashion. Fewer ministers would ruffle it out in the fashion in hair and habit, if it were not for the command of this tyrannous vice. And I would that this were all, or the worst. But, alas! how frequently doth it go with us to our study, and there sit with us and do our work! How oft doth it choose our subject, and, more frequently still, our words and ornaments! God commandeth us to be as plain as we can, that we may inform the ignorant; and as convincing and serious as we are able, that we may melt and change their hardened hearts. But pride stands by and contradicteth all, and produceth its toys and trifles. It polluteth rather than polisheth; and, under pretense of laudable ornaments, dishonoreth our sermons with childish gauds: as if a prince were to be decked in the habit of a stage-player, or a painted fool. It persuadeth us to paint the window, that it may dim the light: and to speak to our people that which they cannot understand; to let them know that we are able to speak unprofitably. If we have a plain and cutting passage, it taketh off the edge, and dulls the life of our preaching, under pretense of filing off’ the roughness, unevenness, and superfluity. When God chargeth us to deal with men as for their lives, and to beseech them with all the earnestness that we are able, this cursed sin controlleth all, and condemneth the most holy commands of God, and saith to us, ‘What! will you make people think you are mad? will you make them say you rage or rave? Cannot you speak soberly and moderately? ’ And thus doth pride make many a man’s sermons; and what pride makes, the devil makes; and what sermons the devil will make and to what end, we may easily conjecture. Though the matter be of God, yet if the dress, and manner, and end be from Satan, we have no great reason to expect success."

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